A state court rejected a challenge by Roman Catholic groups to a state law requiring employers who offer prescription drug plans to include contraceptive coverage. According to the Associated Press, the Catholic Church is claiming that the law intrudes on the rights of religious organizations.
New York State Justice Dan Lamont ruled that the law does not violate the Catholic Church’s constitutional rights, and he said that instead the law has clear “secular purposes” of promoting women’s health and ending gender discrimination, reports the Associated Press. Gloria Feldt, president of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, asserted that the “ruling makes clear that all women in New York should have access to insurance coverage for contraceptives – regardless of who they work for…this is a tremendous victory for the women of New York State who can now get the preventive health care they need and deserve.”
The California Supreme Court is scheduled to hear a similar case this week.
